The 2025 Mike Scala Memorial Tournament tipped off at the Panzer Gym at Montclair State University Monday afternoon when the Montclair State Red Hawks women’s basketball team played against SUNY New Paltz.
It was a close game right from tip-off, but behind energetic defense, the hosts were able to jump out to a six-point lead at the end of the first quarter.
Things got even more competitive in the second quarter. After New Paltz pulled to within three, the Red Hawks went on a 7-0 run to make it 31-24. Then Red Hawk senior guard Shannon Hughes took a technical foul with 15 seconds left in the half and New Paltz’s Sierra Carter sank two free throws to pull the visitors within three once more right before halftime.
During the halftime break, a ceremony was held at midcourt to remember former Montclair State Director of Sports Publicity, Mike Scala who passed away in 2022 after a multiyear battle with cancer.
Red Hawks women’s basketball head coach Karin Harvey, who knew Scala personally, delivered a speech:
Mike was a Red Hawk through and through and he did so much for our program and all the programs here at Montclair State. Mike just had a way about him of making you feel like your program was the most important one. – MSU WBB head coach Karin Harvey
When the second half began, Montclair State started making turnovers which halted their progress. Just three minutes into the third quarter, New Paltz took the lead for the first time of the afternoon 34-33.
There was a tense stretch where both teams turned the ball over on consecutive possessions between 7 and 6 minutes left. Between 6 and 3 minutes left, Montclair State failed to convert on two straight possessions and New Paltz took advantage, taking a seven-point lead.
New Paltz’s transition game was faster with confident passing but it was a battle, as several times players ended up on the floor fighting for a loose ball. Junior guard Samantha Phillip ended New Paltz’s 9-0 run with a two-point jumper with just under two minutes remaining in the third quarter.
It looked like Montclair Stat had taken bac momentum when Alexis Strollo sliced and diced her way from well behind the three-point arc to the basket for a skillful lay-up as the horn sounded.
In the first half of the first quarter, only seven points were scored as the game became truly a battle for every inch on the court at the Panzer gym. With just over four minutes remaining, MSU’s Bella Bruce sank a lay up to give the hosts the lead for the first time since the beginning of the third quarter. However, New Paltz came back with a drive to the basket which ended in two points plus a foul. Breanna Fitzgerald missed the free throw but her teammate grabbed the rebound and got another lay up to go making it a 48-45 lead for the visitors.
With time slipping away, Montclair needed a defensive stop and they got it when Bruce blocked Fitzgerald to the right of the hoop. However, Montclair were unable to produce points on their next run up the floor and New Paltz scored on another lay up to stretch their lead to five. The dagger for New Paltz came when the Red Hawks turned the ball over and Carter hit a three-pointer.
Alyssa Craigwell responded by singlehandedly muscling her way to the hoop and sinking a lay up to make it 53-47, but Fitzgerald clapped back with a lay up of her own on the next possession.
New Paltz went on to win the first game of the Mike Scala Memorial Tournament 57-49.
Carter had a game-high 19 points for SUNY New Paltz, while Craigwell came in second with 18. Meanwhile, the most glaring statistic that separated the victor from the loser was in 3-point shooting percentage. New Paltz made 5-of-11 three point shots on the afternoon, while Montclair State went 1-of-16 from behind the arc.
The Red Hawks will look to bounce back from just their fourth loss of the season when they take on Neumann University tomorrow at 2 p.m. on the second day of the Mike Scala Memorial Tournament.
